You may be thinking about purchasing the ROG Ally X. I’ve had mine for almost a month now, and I’m going to show you everything I’ve learned about it. I purchased my ROG Ally X on pre-order from Best Buy.https://youtu.be/eFrFrUMVRlU
Unboxing the ROG Ally X
When I first opened the box, I found instructions on how to power on the ROG Ally X. Right underneath that was the device itself, which I set aside for a moment. The package also included a 65-watt USB-C charging brick and a box of instructions. I was a bit disappointed that the ROG Ally X didn’t come with a case like my Legion Go or Steam Deck OLED. Although I eventually bought a smaller case for my Legion Go, I still use my Steam Deck OLED case as the primary protection when I’m carrying it around. Fortunately, the ROG Ally X still fit inside the case I bought for my original ROG Ally.
What’s New with the Hardware?
Asus made several changes to the ROG Ally X hardware, most of which I liked, though there was one issue I didn’t care for at all. I appreciated how Asus redesigned the grips, making them more rounded compared to the original ROG Ally. This made it easier for me to grab the ROG Ally X with my two smaller fingers, though I generally default to a more open grip.
The texture was about the same level of grippiness as the original ROG Ally. Asus also decreased the size of the back buttons, though I don’t use them that much. However, there were some significant changes to the top of the ROG Ally X. The SD card slot was moved closer to the power button and further away from the fan, which I hope means Asus fixed whatever issues the original ROG Ally had with SD cards.
One major upgrade was the addition of a Thunderbolt USB-C port, but Asus removed the port for the XG Mobile E-GPU, which some might miss. The joysticks on the ROG Ally X felt firmer and more precise, which I noticed while playing Call of Duty multiplayer. They felt worlds better than the looser joysticks on the original ROG Ally.
The buttons on the ROG Ally X were slightly taller, and the D-pad had a more cross-like shape, which I preferred over the original. The only hardware change I didn’t like was the trigger buttons. The bottom triggers felt a bit loose on my unit, with a slight crunchiness during the press of my left trigger. This might be specific to my device, and it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, but it was noticeable.
The ROG Ally X is also heavier, weighing in at 686 grams compared to the original’s 608 grams. This increased weight and thickness are due to the larger 80-watt-hour battery, which I’ll talk more about later.
Docking Issues
When I tried placing the ROG Ally X in one of my docks, its larger size caused it not to fit properly. I tried it with three different docks, including two from JSAUX, but the thickness of the ROG Ally X caused a forward lean when seated in the dock. Fortunately, I found an 8-in-1 dock by Ivanky that was wide enough to fit my ROG Ally X and had all the ports I needed to connect my mouse, keyboard, and controller.
Upgrading Storage
The ROG Ally X comes with a terabyte of storage, but for the games I play, that filled up pretty quickly. I upgraded to 4TB using a Western Digital Black NVMe SSD. Asus makes it very easy to remove the SSD, which I love. The ROG Ally X uses the more common 2280 SSDs, and the installation process was straightforward.
However, I ran into a couple of problems after upgrading. When I first powered it on, the system kept rebooting, eventually asking for a BitLocker recovery key. I had to log into my Microsoft account on another computer to retrieve it. Once I entered the recovery key, Windows ran a diagnostic, conducted a disk check, scanned and repaired my C drive, and eventually started up again.
The second problem was with Windows partitioning the new drive. I had to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to move the smaller partitions and then combine the C drive with the larger partition in Disk Management. It took some work, but it was worth it to have 4TB of storage on my ROG Ally X.
Setting Up the ROG Ally X
Setting up the ROG Ally X felt like setting up any Windows PC. I went through the usual steps, and while I think Microsoft could streamline the process to get you gaming faster, it wasn’t too bad. Learning the controls made Windows much more enjoyable to use, and I made a few changes to my settings to optimize performance.
I also installed Armory Crate, Asus’s software packed with customization and settings options. The game library was easy to navigate, and I could personalize the theme, recalibrate the joysticks, and manage performance settings like changing the GPU’s allocated memory.
One feature I found especially useful was AMD’s utility software, which includes AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) to improve frame rates and smooth out motion for certain games. I noticed a significant FPS boost when playing Helldivers after enabling AFMF.
Performance and Battery Life
Speaking of performance, I tested several games to see how the ROG Ally X handled them. I’m not a computer expert, so consider these numbers as anecdotal rather than scientific. But here’s what I found: playing Call of Duty multiplayer on Xbox Game Pass at 25 watts in Turbo mode, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1080p resolution with AFMF on, I started with 100% battery at 8:45 a.m. After 49 minutes of gameplay, my battery was at 63%.
I then played Helldivers 2 with similar settings for another 31 minutes, ending with 34% battery. That’s a total of 80 minutes of gameplay with 34% battery remaining. For comparison, my original ROG Ally, with the same settings but without AFMF, lasted only 38 minutes with 28% battery remaining. The increased battery life on the ROG Ally X is a significant improvement.
Should You Buy the ROG Ally X?
I really like the upgrades Asus made to the ROG Ally X—the improved battery life, joysticks, dual USB-C ports, additional RAM, and the use of more common 2280 SSDs. However, if I wasn’t making YouTube videos, I might wait. I purchased my ROG Ally X for $800, but Best Buy is already advertising open-box units for as low as $642. And considering that Asus released the original ROG Ally in June 2023 and announced the ROG Ally X in June 2024, a ROG Ally 2 with even better specs might be on the horizon.
Depending on your financial situation, it might be worth waiting for. But if you’re eager to get your hands on the ROG Ally X, it’s definitely a solid upgrade.